Funding is sought for a 2-day agenda-setting working conference, tentatively entitled "Developing Research to Shape and Improve Assisted Living," which will be held in the Washington, DC area in early January 2002 (tentatively at the Old Town Hilton in Alexandria, VA on January 10-11, 2004). The conference is directed at solving conceptual and methodological issues related to assisted living and prioritizing a research agenda. It builds on 8 commissioned background papers (history and key concepts in AL; defining and classifying AL for research purposes; resicent outcomes and satisfaction; studying AL for persons with dementia; studying AL for low-income and minority populations; implications of family roles for the study of AL; studying physical environments in AL; and role of AL within the larger health and human services systems), and on a comprehensive review of the state of AL research prepared by the PI with the help of the Steering Committee. The paper-writers, commentators, group leaders and other invited participants include major quantitative and qualitative researchers in AL and stakeholders from government, foundation, and consumer/provider organizations. The conference will be organized around four types of research (auantitative, including longitudinal; qualitative; "best practices" research, and policy research. The proposal includes an active plan for disseminating results of the deliberations to multiple audiences.